"The Game" TV ratings
The Game television ratings were released late yesterday and it shows why The Game is still "The Game".
The Game ratings drew a 5.3 share. A share is what percentage of all households were watching The Game. This year's game is up about 10% compared to last year but not as high as the 2007 game (6.4).
LSU/Ark drew a 6.1 share. This is not surprising that this game beat us because it was on Friday and did not have any competition. It is also a 1 vs 3 game. Ala/Aub drew a 4.3. ND/Stanford at a 4.1 share. Va/Vt drew a 3.2 share, Iowa/Neb drew a 2.2 share. So had either M or ohio been ranked higher, the ratings would have been significantly higher.
Our rating of 5.3 translates to about 6 million viewers. This shows that Michigan is truely "America's Team".
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2011/11/ncaa-week-13-ohio-statemichigan…
November 30th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
So we were the highest rated game of the day? Makes you wonder why we got Disney's "E" crew doing the game. Joe Tessitore and Chris Spileman doing The Game? Seriously?
November 30th, 2011 at 11:59 AM ^
Spielman usually does his games with Urban Meyer, but Meyer asked not to do the game because he obviously did not want to answer any more questions about the OSU job he kept lying about.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:13 PM ^
Urban Meyer was burying his father
November 30th, 2011 at 1:44 PM ^
That was two weeks prior.
November 30th, 2011 at 4:06 PM ^
For awhile it seemed like Sean McDonough/Matt Millen were our go-to announcing team. Lots of people seem to hold a grudge against Millen because of his work with the Lions, but I like him as an announcer.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
It was supposed to be the same crew that did the Michigan-Nebraska game, ie, Spielman, Tessitore, and Meyer, but, well, you know...
November 30th, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
Not that it matters, but Spielman did the game with Dave Pasch.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^
You're right. I should've just written, "Spielman, Meyer, and the other guy" =)
November 30th, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^
Pasch is one of the worst.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
+1, because it appears that you're getting downvoted for no reason.
November 30th, 2011 at 2:55 PM ^
His Karma Level is 0, so every post of his starts with a score of 0 and will be greyed out.
November 30th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^
"Clearly, Toussaint's knee is down before the ball crosses the goal line."
Clearly, Mr. Pasch, you can kiss my wrinkly ass.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^
November 30th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
They should have Keith Jackson do one game a year and that's The Game. Perfect voice for college football's finest.
November 30th, 2011 at 7:33 PM ^
But the legend continues. reference gatorade commercial.
November 30th, 2011 at 8:55 PM ^
Lynn Swan stalking scoops on the sidelines for Keith and Bob. "Football, football, I love this game of football."
November 30th, 2011 at 4:22 PM ^
Not only do I disagree that he is bad or an "E" analyst, I think he is great. In fact I think he's probably the best analyst in college football. Way better than Herbstreit because he discusses scheme, fundamentals and strategy to a degree that most other analysts do not. I feel like a fan listening to him really understands assignments and especially individual responsibilities. I remember him talking about Desmond Morgan missing an assignment and he was right on. Talking about how taking Denard out of the game was a bad choice, and that he would run Denard as many times as it took to win. On top of that he really enjoys good hits and communicates that. There are many other examples. To each his own I guess.
November 30th, 2011 at 6:25 PM ^
And I remember him accusing Kovacs of faking an injury when he was really hurt. Spielman's a homer.
December 1st, 2011 at 9:19 AM ^
And I don't think it was a homer comment at all, it was a comment he would have directed at any other team because that's what a lot of teams do.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:44 AM ^
Want to proclaim M as "America's Team". The Cowboys and Yankees are annoying as hell. I don't want any part of the arrogance that goes with that self proclamation.
However, I'm glad so many people saw 132 win, and the Big House rockin.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
Yup...they can keep that name. They bought and earned that.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
"Michigan's team" is good enough for me, especially if it pisses off Sparty.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:58 PM ^
I thought Michigan State University was the university of Michigan?
In all seriousness, it's great that MSU clinched a spot in the first ever B1G conference game and all anyone wants to talk about is Team 132 beating Ohio. It's a blue state and if anyone disagrees, they're plain ignorant.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:01 PM ^
I'm not sure that the Yankees use the "America's Team" title, really. Maybe some rogue media-types do, but believe me, no Yankees fan calls the Yankees that, or believes that the Yankees are anything other than universally hated outside of New York. Also, as a Giants fan, I hate the Cowboys and do not like being lumped in with that crowd.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
The Yankees are "America's team" everywhere except America.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
Same here...Yankees and Giants. The Yankees have never tried to call themselves that...it is strictly a Dallas thing.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:49 AM ^
While I agree that the crew doing The Game was second rate, I have to admit that I thought Spileman did a great job. His insight is first-rate and I really did not see any homerism to his team. Had to be tough but he did a great job that didn't go unnoticed.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
I didnt downvote you, but....huh? Did you listen to him during the game?
Spielman spent the first half referring to OSU as "Us" and um as "them". It was blatant how hard he was on UM, and singing he glory of everything osu did. For the second week in a row, he really detracted from my enjoyment of the game. It felt like watching the wings-sharks series, when we had to listen to the other team's announce cre during road games.
Excepting only the bad call on the Fitz TD, he was as far from unbiased as could be.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
how often he brought up the "leadership" qualities of fickel. honestly, at times it sounded like i was watching a psa for the luke fickel head coach hiring commitee, and thats coming from someone who generally doesnt get annoyed by these sorts of things.
if espn is going to allow spielman to call THE GAME then they should at least have brian griese right along there with him.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
Ironically, he seemed more balanced during The Game than on either the Neb. game or the MSU game. Still an undeniable homer though. He really should not do UM games given his obvious contempt for both the players and particularly the coaching staff.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
Spielman is a complete homer. He was promoting Ohio State and taunting Michigan...during the Michigan-Nebraska game!
I loved him when he was a Lion, but I don't trust a word he says about anything except when it comes to analyzing defense.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:07 PM ^
Yeah he was annoying the hell out of me during the game on saturday. I personally can't stand him being a commentator.
November 30th, 2011 at 1:19 PM ^
The only thing worse was when Tommy Heinsohn used to broadcast Pistons-Celtics games. CBS eventually wised up & canned his ass. His level of homer-ness makes Speilman look objective.
November 30th, 2011 at 2:47 PM ^
He's a really fun announcer if you're a Celtics fan (as I am) but he's a Celtic.
Still, he knows more about basketball than Spielman does football.
November 30th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^
Heinsohn is a blast if you enjoy listening to a commentator complain about the officiating for two and half hours nonstop, which I personally don't enjoy.
November 30th, 2011 at 7:00 PM ^
Being a Piston fan, liking Laimbeer the way that I do, I can definitely appreciate that.
However, I don't even like Homers on my local broadcasts. I'd rather have someone just call it the way it is. I certainly don't want a rival Homer on a national broadcast. That's like a Cardinals' fan watching a Cards vs. Cubs game on WGN.
November 30th, 2011 at 3:53 PM ^
oh man. Might as well turn off the volume.
November 30th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^
Why don't they delay the radio broadcast too, so that they will be synced together? I'd rather here my homers than Ohio homers...
December 1st, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
See your doctor. Should be an ointment you can apply.
November 30th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
for the 2006 game?
November 30th, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^
Keep in mind tSIO has a very large fanbase, too. They could just as easily claim they are "America's team" just based on the ratings. Any idea what the ratings were for the epic '06 game, though? That had to have been through the roof.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
The 2006 game did a 13.0 rating. 21.8 million viewers.
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2010/12/ratings-for-michiganohio-state-drop-for/
November 30th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
November 30th, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^
This is Michigan
This is Michigan
This is Michigan
This is Michigan
This is Michigan fergodsakes
....sorry, that just kind of came out....
November 30th, 2011 at 11:59 AM ^
I don't quite know about that label, but what it does show is that the Michigan brand is truly national and that we have far more brand equity than most schools coule ever hope to have.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:03 PM ^
Needs beat me to it.
November 30th, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
or does Central America and South America never get a say in the whole "America's Team" moniker?
November 30th, 2011 at 12:32 PM ^
Oh, they're Michigan fans.
Look: Brazil even had a maize-out:
November 30th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
Here are a few other games, for comparison:
ND v. Michigan (9/10 @ 8:00 pm): 4.8
LSU v. Oregon (9/3 @ 8:15 pm): 4.7
Bama v. PSU (9/3 @ 3:30 pm): 3.9
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/story/2011-09-12/w…
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/story/2011-09-06/C…